The sum of $3$ consecutive even numbers is $270$. What is the first number in this sequence?
Answer: Call the first number in the sequence $x$ The next even number in the sequence is $x + 2$ The sum of the $3$ consecutive even numbers is: $x+ (x + 2)+ (x + 4) = 270$ $3x + 6= 270$ $3x = 264$ $x = 88$ Thus, the first number is $88$.